Oberfield's Inc. opened shop nearly 40 years ago as the first concrete block producer in its central Ohio market to offer delivery with a boom truck. It continues a first mover tradition while backing up a company slogan, "Solid Performance In Concrete Products," with the commissioning of robotic palletizing units at a new Columbus plant. Two robotic assemblies cube block, retaining wall and concrete pavers at the operation, situated on a 15-acre site and adjacent to a precast and lintel facility Oberfield's acquired in 1985.

"Our company stays on the cutting edge of production technology and product offerings," notes Sales & Marketing Manager Steve Oberfield. The new plant's product machine and robots, he adds, enable molding of various shapes on the same pallet and cubing them in combinations customers cannot find from volume-driven producers.

"We originally planned to run landscape products, along with conventional and architectural block at Columbus," says Oberfield's Director of Operations Bruce Loris. Thus far, a tight labor market - hampering full staffing of a targeted 12-member crew - coupled with landscape product demand have confined output to concrete pavers and retaining wall block, he adds.

Oberfield's current hardscape program encompasses pavers in 12 shapes and 12 standard colors, plus licensed Handy Stone, Handy Wall and Versa-Lok retaining wall block. Product options from the Columbus plant will be increased with this month's installation of a tumbler from Quebec-based Vena Machinery.

Big ticket The facility is by far Oberfield's largest capital investment to date. In the broader concrete masonry industry picture, however, it has another potential distinction: The biggest ticket, privately held operation specializing in landscape units, but not tied to big box retailer accounts. As industry heavyweights in landscape units have established production and distribution on a near national scale via mass or home improvement retailers, Oberfield's has built its paving stone and retaining wall unit business through dealers and distributors in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, with some direct consumer and contractor sales as well.

Business is generated from showrooms at three plant locations - Columbus, Sunbury and the Delaware headquarters - plus Marion and Marysville, Ohio, sales offices. The Columbus plant triples landscape unit capacity, which until now Oberfield's had housed in Sunbury. As the new plant nears optimal staffing and capacity, the producer will weigh output options across five block and product machines at three locations.